“U.S. consumers’ confidence hit a fresh 14-year high this month, as lower-income households reported feeling more optimistic about the economy,” Harriet Torry reports for The Wall Street Journal. “The University of Michigan on Friday said the preliminary result of its consumer-sentiment index was 102.0 in March, up from 99.7 in February. That was the highest level since January 2004, and well above the 99.0 economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected.”

“The reading ‘continues what has been a strong run across a range of consumer sentiment measures,’ JPMorgan Chase economist Daniel Silver said in a note to clients, adding ‘this strength in sentiment is one of the reasons we think consumer spending will pick up soon following a soft start to the year,'” Torry reports. “Federal Reserve policy makers meet next week, March 20-21, and they are widely expected to raise rates a quarter percentage point from their current range of between 1.25% and 1.5%.”

MacDailyNews Take: A strong U.S. economy, especially regarding employment, disposable income gains, and consumer spending increases obviously bodes well for Apple and for everyone else. A rising tide lifts all boats!

One does wonder why the Trump bloggers missed the prior 8 years of constant growth. After the nitrous oxide canister is used, how are you going to spin the slowdown to come? Of course everyone is happy that the GLOBAL economy continues to improve. Some of us more experienced business owners are already making plans for the inevitable crash. You can’t stimulate a mature economy to grow at twice the rate of population growth without setting up the next recession. Point to us where this has happened in the modern era.

Since the sitting president is personally responsible for all economic news, is your hero going to do anything for the 20000 ToysRUs employees being laid off? Maybe federal subsidies for bussing them to W VA and training them for future prosperity in coal mines and steel mills. Government intervention is always good when your party does it, right Goeb?

People with PPD are always on guard, believing that others are constantly trying to demean, harm, or threaten them. These generally unfounded beliefs, as well as their habits of blame and distrust, might interfere with their ability to form close relationships. People with this disorder:

– Doubt the commitment, loyalty, or trustworthiness of others, believing others are using or deceiving them
– Are reluctant to confide in others or reveal personal information due to a fear that the information will be used against them
– Are unforgiving and hold grudges
– Are hypersensitive and take criticism poorly
– Read hidden meanings in the innocent remarks or casual looks of others
– Perceive attacks on their character that are not apparent to others; they generally react with anger and are quick to retaliate
– Have recurrent suspicions, without reason, that their spouses or lovers are being unfaithful
– Are generally cold and distant in their relationships with others, and might become controlling and jealous
– Cannot see their role in problems or conflicts and believe they are always right
– Have difficulty relaxing
– Are hostile, stubborn, and argumentative

The list described Goeb to a T. One more example of an ailing person ignorant of his afflictions that are obvious to everyone else.

GoeB

Monday, March 19, 2018 - 9:35 pm ·

“ailing person ignorant of his afflictions that are obvious to everyone.”

Several mistakes. I doubt you are professional doctor making a diagnosis. I doubt you are allowed to speak for everyone. I doubt by using an ABSOLUTE statement you know what is or is not obvious to everyone.

A stupid billionaire promoted the idea of borrowing $1.5T dollars to stimulate an already growing economy, but sent most of it to the wealthy and a trickle down to every one else. This after claiming that his tax plan would hurt the wealthy and that he and his family would not benefit. Along with the one-time bump in tax revenues from the tax amnesty on repatriated profits, you would expect some kind of economic boost in the short term.

But Trump had better not hang his hat on consumer confidence metrics any more than he should use the stock market as a measure of his “success.” Consumer confidence can be very fickle, and I think that the tariffs/tariff war will take a toll on both the stock market and consumer confidence in the coming months.

You must really like Trump, because you are always posting photos of the goofy b@stard.

Paranoid much? It’s more probable that everyone, especially non Trumpet conservatives with actual principles and an understanding of the benefits of global trade and democratic processes, is tired of your endless pro Trump spin lacking references or facts. Then you prove your tenuous grasp of reality when you resort to personal attacks or unfounded accusations.

I can’t imagine that Trump comprehends chess. He has been playing zero-dimensional chess all along,—meaning that he has no strategy at all. I don’t say that’s a bad thing in itself, but people saying he’s a genius like Bobby Fischer need to recalibrate. Real chess players don’t telegraph their moves, or lamely try to take them back, or claim they weren’t actually touching a piece when they changed their minds. They might blow cigar smoke into your face during a match, or insult your ancestry, or hum a national anthem they know you despise — all fair game. But making excuses doesn’t cut it in the uber-macho chess world, where every move is laid out for all the world to see and where, as Gary Kasparov put it, the only goal is to “utterly destroy your opponent’s will.” It would help to have a gambit better than “I’m white, and I won.”

botvinnik, that’s a folding chess board! I can tell by the non-straight top edge. Is that because you like to play outside under the oaks? Also, you of course realise it is an impossible chess position. 😏

Before IBM and their nerd programmers came along and defeated Garry Kasparov, Russia still had a chance to reclaim world dominance in the chess world, an ultra-competitive, macho sport that once exemplified Soviet superiority over a dissolute bourgeois culture. Since then, Russia has gone back to old-school tricks like doping their Olympic athletes and paying Lithuanian hackers to fsck everybody over, just because.

But you know all this because you are the great Mikhail Botvinnik, world chess champion for fifteen years. Of course you would support Trump, because Mother Russia approves of this strong, sensible American leader. Even Vladimir Putin has called him brilliant. You yourself won the Brilliancy Prize in 1936 against Tartakover by unremitting exploitation of the open King Bishop file.

botvinnik

Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 5:57 am ·

it’s a tournament roll board. heh, yeah I still play the lawyer under that oak tree. Bo

botvinnik

Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 5:58 am ·

it’s a tournament roll board. heh, yeah I still play the lawyer under that oak tree. The Botvinnik/Capablanca matches were the best.

You may think that you are being clever promoting that fake meme. You may even believe it, more’s the pity. But the GOP invented obstructionism as a method of discrediting Democratic Presidents, especially Obama.

You should consider the fact that the GOP came into Trump’s term with a clear agenda of excluding the Democrats. In fact, the Republicans even excluded most of their own people from the legislative process until the last minute, then either bullied them into agreeing or bought their votes with terrible concessions. The Democrats did not have a chance to obstruct because the GOP went straight to majority rule for everything possible using the reconciliation process. In addition, the Republicans have a new definition for “compromise”…it now means vote for what I want with no changes whatsoever.

So screw you and your Fwhatever pals, because you are the idiots who fail to comprehend truth and respond with logic and reason. Time will show how misguided you are and, once again, we will throw you out, pick up the shattered pieces of our democracy, and put them back together.

Have you EVER heard of the Affordable Care Act that has my once affordable insurance unaffordable and now it doesn’t even cover my doctor visits? How many Democrat votes were bought and sold to make that travesty a reality? If nothing else, Trump and his ilk freed us slaves from the mandate of supposed health insurance simply because we exist.

Good old gob snot. Still whining. Still the stupid syncophant it has always been. Not an original thought in its head

Hey. I understand CitizenX went from prison to defining computer retail in 7 years. You should be feeling lucky you were blessed with his experience. But no. You sit there wallowing in your self pity. That mean Obama made you life so miserable that trunp’s ass was looking up to you. Spare me your stupidity.

When over 90% of employees are on a daily mission to destroy President Trump, at all costs, it holds our country BACK.

If the absolutely remarkable economic numbers for a first year, first time politician, were broadcast honestly across the media spectrum — the economy would go to the moon. But they don’t want that.

Instead, journalism today no longer exists to present the TRUTH. They are in full Trump takedown mode and no longer HIDE they are comprised of 90%+ DEMOCRAT employees, or more importantly, no longer advocate fair and balanced reporting.

Imagine if Obama in his first year in office had JUST ONE of the following numbers (below).

The media would be beside themselves proclaiming Obama as the greatest president of all time. Instead, they blindly ignore the economic TRUMP TRIUMPHS, and what do they feed us? Russia, Russia, Russia. Despicable.

The media does know they cannot DENY the following numbers, and no regulatory authority exists to compel them. The regulatory authority is the average citizen that has dropped their subscription or tuned out entirely.

The next time you read the Constitution, don’t just skip ahead to the Second Amendment. The main theme of the document is checks and balances. Congress is an equal branch of government with no duty to support the Executive unless they agree with it. Likewise for the Judicial Branch. Likewise for the state and local governments. That’s before we even get to the Bill of Rights.

The Press (like freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and petition) is not obliged to be a cheerleader for the Government. It is expected to be an independent critic. That includes the duty to blame as well as praise.

The Government has an elaborate establishment of communications offices, press secretaries, etc. to promote its point of view… using our tax money to do so. There is no danger of that voice being silenced. There is no clause in the First Amendment specifically protecting the White House Communications Director, or any of the four predecessors in that office. She doesn’t need protection. The independent press does.

I have seen all the numbers you posted before. Where? In the mainstream media you accuse of ignoring those facts. To say they didn’t report those statistics is simply wrong. Your gripe is not that they didn’t print those facts, but that they also printed other facts and opinions that were less flattering. To repeat, that is not only their job, but their constitutional role.

There is nothing partisan about this. I am absolutely certain that the Press and Congress would be absolutely beside themselves with screaming if during Obama’s first year in office
• A foreign power attempted to overturn the electoral process in the United States and several of its allies, conducted cyberattacks on our key infrastructure, then carried out an attack on a NATO member using a weapon of mass destruction;
• Congress voted sanctions on that foreign power which the President took months to implement, while he simultaneously denied the threat and repeatedly praised the foreign dictator for his strong leadership; and
• A pattern emerged of close contacts between multiple associates of the President and representatives of that same foreign power, leading to a number of federal indictments and guilty pleas.

Rather than fearing that he won’t get his due, you should perhaps be afraid instead that the independent press and judicial branch really are going to give Mr. Trump the credit he so rightly deserves!

No conscience, indeed. He has NO conscience and no sense of fair play.

Typical of partisan plants from Foggy Bottom …

Brown nose much ?

Friday, March 16, 2018 - 9:27 pm ·

Hey, GoeB, why don’t you get your nose out of Botvinnik’s anus for a change.

GoeB

Friday, March 16, 2018 - 11:59 pm ·

Says the BANNED Citizen X. Glad I don’t have to look at that goofy cowboy hat AVATAR any longer …

TxUser

Friday, March 16, 2018 - 11:34 pm ·

Partisan plant from Foggy Bottom? What led you to believe I am a covert operative for the U.S. Department of State? I have never in my life been within 75 miles of the District of Columbia. I have never even been out of Texas for as long as three consecutive weeks.

As for being partisan, I will admit that. I have voted in every Republican Party primary since the early 1980s.

If you are serious about a conspiracy in which I am a secret agent for the State Department, you need to go buy lots of tinfoil for hats. The price of aluminum is about to go up significantly because of the tariffs, and the aliens (brown and green) are perfecting their mind control rays.

GoeB

Saturday, March 17, 2018 - 12:30 am ·

“As for being partisan, I will admit that. I have voted in every Republican Party primary since the early 1980s.”

You did not say HOW you voted. Did you write in Democrats?

I buy tinfoil in bulk at Price Club …

Brown Nose Much?

Monday, March 19, 2018 - 2:19 am ·

GoeB — You keep asserting I am someone else, when I am not. I am not Citizen X. Obsessed much?

“GoeB” is not an avatar: avatars are computer game body-doubles. “GoeB” is a screen name. Just like all the other screen names on this site. None are “avatars”. I think you just keep calling them “avatars” because that is a big word for you. Look it up. How many times do you have to be told this?

You are the one who routinely uses racist and bigoted vitriol, which is an indication of either ignorance or low IQ. Just like Trump, I suppose. I do not see the so-called media you so despise descending to such a level. You hate the media only because they do not share your hate-filled view of the world. A reasonable man might question his unfounded beliefs that are inconsistent with reality.

How do you sleep at night was a song John Lennon wrote trashing Paul McCartney, after they had been best mates, had conquered the pop music world, and had become the most potent songwriting team since Rogers and Hammerstein, and had made a shiteload of money, even by UK “Taxman” standards. I guess money can’t buy you love.

“Rather than fearing that he won’t get his due, you should perhaps be afraid instead that the independent press and judicial branch really are going to give Mr. Trump the credit he so rightly deserves!”

Well, once again the FAKE conservative is righteously pulling for his team, not!

Sorry to burst your bubble, NO FEAR here.

The Press is independent technically and that is a problem when they are controlled by over 90% of employees that vote for the Democratic Party. I know you don’t have a problem with that.

Here is the credit President Trump rightly deserves, and is DUE:

* 313,000 jobs added in February, 200,000 projected (blowout numbers).
* Unemployment rate at 4.1 percent, the lowest since December 2000.
* Employed Americans has broken eight RECORDS since President Donald Trump took office: 155,215,000 Americans were employed in February.
* 31,000 manufacturing jobs added in February and sector employment increased by 263,000 since December 2016.
* 6.9 percent black unemployment rate in February hits historic low.
* Stock market soaring and breaking record after record since Trump took office.
* Consumer confidence at 14 YEAR HIGH!

And there we have it in a nutshell. Some Trump supporters will never be satisfied until the U.S. Government has the same control over the American press that Putin has over RT and Sputnik. They will never be satisfied until the U.S. Government has the same control over American free markets as Putin and his kleptocracy has over the Russian economy. They will never be satisfied until Big Brother controls all us mere “apprentices” with an iron hand and lick his boots to thank him (Him?) for it. They will never be satisfied until we call Trumpism “conservative” and subservience “freedom.”

Ignorance is bliss. The economy, as well as our democracy, is well on its way to unravelling. Unless you’re rich and you don’t know or care. Wait’ll we discover how much is incapable of being “Made in the USA.”

My, you are a determined keeper of records, GoeB! Numbers and patterns of numbers represent facts. But we must be cautious with our interpretations. I see two plausible explanations for the political bias you exposed: that the voting system was gamed by one or more persons, or that a silent majority tends to come out of the woodwork at any mention of Trump. In the present instance, I am inclined to believe the first because of the speed of the vote accumulations. But CitizenX doesn’t match the profile of our fake voter.. CitizenX is verbose, self-disclosing, and unrelenting, whilst our invisible assassin is silent, secretive, and gives up after a few minutes. We have no idea who this person is, who spoils the party for everybody.

The problem of rogue voters and illegitimate representations is a real and present menace to free thought, and is not limited to the expression of political beliefs, or to the MacDailyNews website or any other. I commend you for your steely focus on the deceptive nature of popularity polls.

But I beg to differ in regards to banned Citizen X. He dumps daily on every political topic favorable to the “trumpanzee” as he calls it, and NEVER uses the same screen name TWICE to avoid MDN detection.

Ex-girlfriend in high school was in charge of cleaning and maintaining his farm property in Drums, PA when he was away. I would help her out from time to time on a lovely sprawling valley estate with a private lake.

Years later, Jack sponsored a small town community theater in his hometown and yours truly ran the theatrical lighting for a 10-week run of “Fidler on the Roof” and other shows.

An aside, at the start of the theater run we needed costumes and I traveled to NYC with the crew. Will never forget the number of rows and stories high of costumes, from every period in history, in this massive building with the NYC skyline looming in the windows.

Jack would show up after every local theater performance and we hoisted libations together.

About the same time he bought a small pub on Diamond Ave. in Hazleton and hired a fishing buddy of mine as his general manager and bartender and we again, hoisted libations together.

My mother was the chef at the best seafood resturant in town. Jack would pop in the kitchen occasionally and ask, “what’s good, Annette?”

Bottom line: Personable good guy, creative Lithuanian, lover of the arts, down to earth and NO ONE has ever matched his one-handed stage pushups after receiving an Oscar …

GoeB

Saturday, March 17, 2018 - 6:09 pm ·

Role, apologies.

Herself

Saturday, March 17, 2018 - 9:16 pm ·

Lovely reminiscence! In real life Jack Palance was charming and so are you. Isn’t it a pity that the good life is so easily sullied by political invective? I just read a golf article about John Daly, a perennial PGA contender who talked candidly about playing with a number of presidents. Did you see it? He plays with Trump and they have a good time; Trump likes to shoot the breeze and doesn’t bother much with keeping score. Amongst presidents he’s played with, John said the best golfer was Bush senior, and that Dubya was OK, that Obama was mediocre, and that Clinton was Mister Mulligan. Go figure. I love these insider interview—you get to know these people for real.

GoeB

Sunday, March 18, 2018 - 7:00 am ·

Pardon me, I’m blushing ☺️ after reading your compliment.

“Isn’t it a pity that the good life is so easily sullied by political invective?”

Truer words were never spoken. When I see high school kids walking out of school and protesting the Second Amendment it makes me sad and angry at the same time. The tragedy is the loss of innocence is getting younger by the year and the political “invective” is poisoning everyday life like never before.

I did not read the golf article you mentioned, but as you pointed out very insightful bearings from the presidential class. As the old western saw goes, “it was better than canned peaches.”

Clinton playing a “Mulligan?” Gee, what a surprise.

“I love these insider interview—you get to know these people for real.”

Yes, I love them too for insight free of outside influence. Down to earth REALITY. Thanks for sharing.

Last night on St. Patrick’s Day as I do every year, watched the “Molly Maguires” movie filmed where I grew up less than five miles away. Palance grew up less than 10 miles away. Watched the movie with my younger sister, who back in 1968 visited the movie set with my parents and Richard Harris in full costume held my sister up in his arms for a family picture.

“…while our invisible assassin is silent, secretive, and gives up after a few minutes. We have no idea who this person is…”

Well, one of them could be me. But I am not sure exactly who you are referring to. Ha! Although you do seem to confuse, conflate, or mistake other posters for me. And lately, “Mr Avatar” himself appears to attribute all my posts to one Citizen X …whoever that is. But, honestly, what is the difference? Who knows who GoeB, Herself, or Botvinnik really are, after all. Besides, my screen name often has to do with the topic of the post itself, so there is a certain logic to my choices of screen names. In any event, I am perfectly within online blog rules, and my legal rights, to do so. I know you all claim to be big on constitutional rights.

Incidentally, I do not “give up after a few minutes”; it is simply that I do not hang out much on this website. Some miscreants and bullies seem to relish hanging out here, as if it gives meaning to their sad, small lives.

And exactly what “party am I spoiling for everybody”? Most of my comments get high “star ratings” — certainly higher than either of you generally get. It is more accurate to say that GoeB and Herself (and obvious others) are spoiling the party for most of the other people who frequent this site. Think about it. A reasonable persons adjusts his views to the world.

But I am neither a rogue voter nor are my representations illegitimate: my votes and my comments are always mine and always sincere.

Stop complaining that I use different screen names. It is my choice, not yours. It does not matter anyway, the way I see it. Although I have no ideal if, or how many, other posters you may be confusing with me …or with “untrackable” screen names.

“Stop complaining that I use different screen names. It is my choice, not yours. It does not matter anyway, the way I see it. Although I have no ideal if, or how many, other posters you may be confusing with me …or with “untrackable” screen names.”

Good to read you admit changing your screen names. Why and who are you? “untrackable” screen names.” yes, although criminals know such techniques to cover their tracks to avoid detection, you are correct. Overall I rest my case …

It’s people that I befriended, not miscreants and bullies. Once, I tried to make peace.. at Slashdot and reddit and MacDailyNews. It never worked. — It didn’t work around the dinner table, either, as my sisters and I grew up with a boisterous and diverse crowd of relatives: rummy Irish catholics, stern Lutherans, Mormons, Hungarian anti-communists. Trying to intervene in a yelling match between two of ’em got me sent to my room. I managed to stay on friendly terms with all the adults separately, some by admiring their stories or helping with the chores, some by staying out of arm’s reach. I decided to try that technique here — ignoring the unpleasant parts and relating to internet posters as complex human beings who were in the same tribe as me — and it works about as well.

There are as many MDN commenters who take a nuanced approach as there are one-noters. I have something to learn from all of them, and I try, but it is quite taxing to keep an open mind and open channels of communication when bounced around like a tether-ball, hit for being a libtard, a Trump apologist, an NRA shill, a snowflake. It is exhilarating to experience all the sound and fury of human nature here on the internet, knowing I can’t be sent to my room. 😄

The trend I see here is you making accusations and wondering why all the forum members hate you.

Let me propose a simple reality check for you. This Sunday, go to church and ask people whom they voted for in the last presidential election. When you get to the first person who tells you that he did not endorse Trump, then stand up and loudly declare to the world , “You are fake!” Or go ahead and use your good buddy botvinniks words, “That means nothing because you are nothing!”

I think you’re off base. The Constitution is holy but its articles apply only to the government’s role in the exercise of free speech. Indeed, the whole purpose of the Constitution is to limit government intrusion into human affairs, something that was a big deal in the 1700s. It doesn’t stop MDN from deleting posts, or stop me from punching you in the mouth because of something you said. You could still sue me for assault, but it wouldn’t qualify as a Supreme Court case.

MDN has indeed banned a number of people and deleted comments. But realise that most of us active users begged MDN to do just that, and they only reluctantly complied. If only Reddit and similar websites that generate such tribal mania were as sensitive to their users, and cognisant of the hair-trigger fuse on the powder-keg we’re all sitting on, that would have made the world a far better place.

And hey, if someone does have to scurry around with different names because you right wing nut jobs only PAY LIP SERVICE to free speech, that makes you wrong.

You have nothing valid to say and when confronted with it you ban said person.

Oh and get this. CitizenX posted his picture to show his ‘handicap’ regarding typing and he got banned permanently. Couldn’t stand the fact that a 65 year old didn’t look like the pathetic bannon looking trailer trash like you and bottwipe. And yes as soon as he posted his picture he was banned permanently.

Well, the pattern is pretty obvious to spot; I do not see how you could have missed it. Most of us disagree with your & Botvinnik’s (generally hateful and/or unfounded) posts, which explains your low “star ratings”. In contrast, many here agree with logical, well-reasoned, observations & statements by various other posters, which explains their generally high “star ratings”.

Plus, you have this strange fixation with Citizen X — whom I am not! — which does not paint a pretty picture of your mental health.

It is a sign of immaturity, ignorance, low IQ, and/or mental imbalance to hold generally extreme and hateful positions stated by you and your girlfriend, Botvinnik.

I am sure you can spot the pattern if you really want to. Be bold, for a change, and ponder the opposite of your (past and present) views & positions. It won’t kill you, but could lead to some real insights about yourself and the world around you.

The low star ratings AT TIMES are MANIPULATED and sometimes by the same detractors voting REPEATEDLY, fine.

But who are you really? First time I’ve seen the screen name and yet you know me and others so well? New here or posting under a different name like some of the others? I’m counting half a dozen new screen names answering my posts lately which is highly suspicious and dishonest if true.

Nice to get the attention but I don’t really care personally at the end of the day. Votes are not pure as the driven snow, never were at anytime. Oh that’s right, you’re naive and like Melvin, TXuser and PreDrag think they are ALL honest. Right.

As to the rest of your insults and OTHERS — Botty and I must be doing something right like getting under LEFTIST skin.